France’s annual inflation rate climbed to 2.2% in April 2026, up from 1.7% in March, confirming the preliminary estimates and marking the highest level since July 2024. The acceleration was largely driven by energy prices, which jumped 14.3% (compared with 7.4% in March), reflecting a sharp increase in petroleum products (31.4% vs 18.1%) linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Services inflation inched up to 1.8% from 1.7%, while prices of manufactured goods continued to fall (-0.6% vs -0.5%). By contrast, food inflation eased to 1.2% from 1.8%.
On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.0%, unchanged from March. The increase was supported by higher prices for seasonal services (up 1.2%) and a 4.7% rise in energy costs, particularly petroleum products (up 8.2%), while food prices edged higher and manufactured goods remained broadly stable. Core inflation ticked up to 1.2% from 1.1%. Meanwhile, EU-harmonised inflation reached 2.5%, putting France above the European Central Bank’s 2% target for the first time since August 2024.
